Sewing machine attachment



- pr 7, 1936. H 'C UNDERWOOD 2,036,558

SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed NOv. 12, 1934 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to an improved attachment for sewing machines, and more particularly to a duplex gauge.

Among the principal objectswhich the present 5 invention has in View are: To provide improved means for guiding work with respect to a pair of needles; for variably guiding stitching with respect to an edge of said work; toenable the stitching to be sloped toward the edge and closer than normal to a part of said edge; to attach the means to a sewing machine at a, place thereof which will not interfere with the normal operation of the machine; to be enabled to operate the means when desired without stopping the machine or continuity of the lines of stitching, and to obtain other'advantages and results as may beV brought out in the following description.

Drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a sewing machine and showing' my improved attachment thereon;

Figure `2 is a longitudinal sectional View ofthe I same shown as taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the attachment and a portion of a garment and showing the attachment before operation;

Figure 4 is a similar view and showing the attachment. in operation; and

Figures 5 'and .6 are portions of the article in completed condition.

Description:

As seen in .the drawing, I have shown a part or" VVa sewing machine Il) having a throat plate II, feed dog I2, presser foot I3 and a plurality of needle openings I'S' in the presser foot I3. The ...par-ts just mentioned may be conveniently attached as usual as heretofore to the sewing machine structure vwhich includes a bed I4 as will .be readily vunderstoodby those skilled in the art. The present invention is particularly ldirected for .applying a double line of vstitches to an article requiring the same and which may also require a nishing touch of .a strip of binding, such as tape or the like, to be secured to the hem edges, as `occurs in the manufacture of a collar Wor the like. Attention is especially called to the Afact that the corner points or tips of semi-soft collarsy-as usually worn by men, often become damaged through laundering because the stitches as applied vheretofore lin collar construction are not close enough to the outside edge of the same, .andfit is to overcome this defect in the prior art tlratthe present Vinvention is more particularly directed.

Acarrying out the invention and referring (Cl. 11E-152) more particularly to Figures l to 4 inclusive, I have shown my improved attachment as including an elongated arm I5 projecting forwardly toward the operator to be conveniently operated by hand when desired. Said arm may be conveniently and suitably attached at one end to a plate I6 as by a bolt I1 and free to move in either direction. The pivoted end of the arm is shape-d to be a cam I8 which abuts against an end directed toward the cam of a sliding rod I9. The rod may conveniently slide within a housing 2D of a bracket 2|. Said housing has a longitudinal slot 22 centrally therein through which projects an upstanding post 22', preferably integr-al with the rod, said slot preferably limiting the forward or backward movement of the rod when in operation;

The outside end of the rod I9, that is, the end opposite from the end juxtaposed to the cam I8,

likewise projects upwardly, as at 23, and comprises a movable work gauge which will contact the edge of an article being stitched.

In operation, a binding or tape 24 employed in completing the preferred construction of the collar is sewn to the article by virtue of a pair of needles 25. The tape 24 for neatness of the article is preferably sewn on the inside or wrongside of the article to more securely retain the hems along the fold lines as seen in Figures 2 and 6, and more fully shown and described in my col-pending application, Serial No. 749,190 filed October 20, 1934. Referring now to Figure 2, it will be noted that the tape 24 is fed through the feed dog I2 as far as the needle openings where the tape issues onto the top of the feed dog and the needles 25 securely sew the tape to the underside or wrongside or" the article or collar 26.

In applying the do-uble line of stitches 21 to the tape 24 and collar 26 along the edge of the collar, it will be noted that the stitching is in parallel relationship and parallel to and spaced normally from the edge of the collar throughout the hem except at the corner point. Since it is desirable to protect the corner point and to prevent the point from becoming distorted, the arm I5 is swung towards the left as in Figure 4, whereby the cam I8 engages the sliding rod I9, pushing the same towards the edge of the collar 26.

By Virtue of the upstanding end or gauge 23 of the rod I9, pressure is exerted upon the edge of the collar 26 or other work, sliding the work so that the edge next the lines of stitching moves closer to the needles 25. Preferably the pressure is applied gradually and the machine slowed down by the operator as the stitching continues thereby causing the lines of stitching to converge or slope toward the edge of the collar. When the gauge reaches its innermost position toward the needles, the lines of stitches again continue parallel to the edge, but closer thereto than normal,

distortion, such as has been heretofore preva-: 15 lent with collars or the like, particularly afteri Y.being laundered.V The operatormay' swing theY yvork to continue sewing upon vtheintersecting edge and preferably the gauge 23 is left-so that the initial part of the lines of stitchingbeginning fromthe point will be closerthan normal to the edge, and after a few stitches have been made, the arm it is returned slowly to its initial position, thereby returning the lines of stitcheV Y ing to normal distance and parallelism to the edge of'ithe collar.

As best shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, the sliding rod I9 is held in engagement with the edge of the cam I8 by means of a spring 28 suitably attached to the upstanding post 22' of the sliding rod and at its other end to a pin 29 Von bracket 2|. The arm I5 is adjustably stopped at proper angular displacements determined in adjusting the attachment upon the machine to secure the proper spacing of theL stitching from the edge of `the work. YConvenient stops for this purpose are in*- dicated as a pair of spaced screws 3@ pointing towards each other and the arrn I5 such that one Y screw, that is, the one nearest the needles 25 will function to determine the spacing of the stitching closest to the edge ofthe work and the other screw, that is, the one furthestifrom the needles, will function to adjustably limit the spacing of theiiines of stitching in its normal distancefrom the edge. Y fr Y The material comprising the collar blank being of multi-ply woven fabric is subject to ,injury and distortion by rapidly operating needles 25 stitching the tape 24 to the hem edges of the collar 26 when too close to the Aedge and one deleterious effect resulting is that the cross-threads ofthe fabric are caused to projectk outwardly beyond the edge of the finished collar making it rough or ragged. To eliminate this bad featusre, I have found it advantageous to run the lines of stitches 21 back from the edge a distance herein referred to as normal, so should there be an accidental break in the cross-threads of the fabric, sufficient material wiil remain along the edge for preventing a possibility of such broken threads projecting outwardly beyond the said edge.

As the needles 25 come closer to the tips or corner points, the machine is gradually slowed down and the gauge 23 applied to bring the edge of the collar 26 closer to the path ofthe needles thereby applying the stitches adjacent the edge of the tips or corner points as heretofore described. Since the machine has been slowed down considerably, the needles will enter the fabricat a lower rate of speed under whichY conditions they do not tend to break the cross-threads ,of the fabric. After the one side edge of the corner point has been stitched, the operator may then swing the collar to a proper position whereby the other edge may be stitched. The machine continues to be run slowly until the corner point is completed, after which the gauge is released to normal position and the lines of stitches applied further in from the edge and at a greater speed. The slowing down of the machine is a usual operation when sewing at corner points, and is not especially done for manufacture of a collar according to the present invention. I,

' therefore, utilize the usual slowing down of the machine to enable meto then bring the lines of stitching closer to the edge according to the adi vantages above explained and constituting an important feature of this invention.

By aise of the present invention, a collar or the'like can be manufactured with great rapidity with the lines of'stitching throughout the major-portion of the margins-of the collar having anormalgspacing from the edge both for security and'for purposes of appearance, and the lines of stitching may be brought to a much closer spacing from-the edge adjacent the tips or corner points of the collar with ease and a minimum requirernent of skill upon the part of the operator with assurance` that the stitching will be run` arm'abutting one end of said guide and projecting'toward the operator for shifting the guide from one position to another, andmeans on either side of said pivoted arm adapted to adjustably limit the amplitude ef swing of said arm.

2. A sewing machine attachment as characterized comprising a guide providing a Yrod slidable toward andaway from the work operable during and 'without interruption ofthe stitching operation for adjusting the edge ofthe work at a variable distance from the lines' ofstitching, a pivoted arm adjacentthe rod projecting toward the operator, said varm having a cam abutting one end of the guide and'for shifting said guide from one position to another, said rod having an upstanding post approximately midway thereof, and a Ycoil spring, one end of which is attached to said post for maintaining theend of the rod furthest from the work in engagement with said cam, and adjustable meansadjacent the army for limiting the amplitude of swing of said arm thereby cooperating with the said coil spring `to limit the movement of said rod.

3. A sewing machine attachment as characterized comprising a plate with a bracket having a housing, said housing providing a rod slidable toward and away from the work operable during and without interruption of the stitching operation, said rod atits end nearest the work having an upwardly projecting portion for contacting the edge of the work and adjusting the same at a variable distance from the lines of stitching, an arm pivotally attached to the plate and projecting toward the operator, said arm having a cam contacting the other end of the slidable rod for shifting the said upwardly projecting'portion of the rod from one position to another, said housing having an opening midway thereof, the slidable rod having means projecting upwardly through said'opening, said means retaining one end of a'coil spring thereon, and a second means on the bracket for retaining the other end of the spring whereby the end of the .rod furthest from the work is maintained in engagement with the cam.

4. A sewing machine attachment as characterized comprising a plate with a bracket having a housing, said housing providing a rod slidable toward and away from the work operable during and without interruption of the stitching operation, said rod at its end nearest the work having an upwardly projecting portion for contacting the edge of the work and adjusting the same at a variable distance from the lines of stitching, an arm pivotally attached to the plate and projecting toward the operator, said arm having a cam contacting the other end of the slidable rod for shifting the said upwardly projecting portion of the rod from one position to another, said housing having an opening midway thereof, the slidable rod having means projecting upwardly through said opening, said means re-V taining one end oi a coil spring thereon, and a second means on the bracket for retaining the other end of the spring whereby the end of the rod furthest from the work is maintained in engagement with the cam, and said bracket and plate having adjusting means for limiting the thrust of the said arm during operation.

5. A sewing machine attachment as characterized comprising a plate with a bracket having a housing, said housing providing a rod slidable toward and away from the work operable during and without interruption of the stitching operation, said rod at its end nearest the work having an upwardly projecting portion for contacting the edge of the work and adjusting the same at a variable distance from the lines of stitching, an arm pivotally attached to the plate and projecting toward the operator, said arm having a cam contacting the other end of the slidable rod for shifting the said upwardly projecting portion of the rod from one position to another, said housing having an opening midway thereof, the slidable rod having means projecting upwardly through said opening, said means retaining one end of a coil spring thereon, and a second means on the bracket for retaining the other end of the spring whereby the end of the rod furthest from the work is maintained in engagement with the cam, and said bracket and plate having adjusting means for limiting the thrust of the said arm during operation, said adjusting means comprising a pair of spaced screws facing each other whereby the arm when directed towards the one screw the lines of stitching will appear closer to the edge of the work than when the arm is directed towards the other screw.

HOWARD C. UNDERWOOD. 

